Tiva Boon: Heir of Abennelp (Tiva Boon Series Book 2)

by Jenn Nixon

  Tiva touched the chain around her neck. The crystal seemed to react to her touch, but with what had just happened, she expected as much. “I have come to realize that my physical abilities and quicker healing differentiates me from the humans, Aliri knows my strengths and weaknesses, perhaps she knew I could handle it…”

  “Ah, well maybe that e-explains it.” He smiled and moved toward the doors as the lift stopped. “The Traker will be ready in the m-morning. I will meet you in the flight deck before you depart to see you off…get some r-rest, Ms. Boon.”

  “I will, sir, thank you.”

  The Tolox docked on Ovvella Base along with the Windrider and several other ships from the area. The Ambassadors called the captains and commanders into an urgent meeting. Hino gave Tiva a quick scan and double-checked the implant to ensure it was still operational. Her temperature was elevated, as well as her pulse and endorphin levels, but everything was within tolerable levels. Satisfied, he released her from care, but ordered her to bed.

  She wondered if she looked more tired than she felt, because her mind and body were completely invigorated. When she retired to her room, she accessed the information transferred from the command center. The Bujeni bomb runner matched the ship that Neola had sent. Harai’s last message said the Rebels had new suppliers, and Pethor said their original ties to the aliens were severed before she left the planet. But neither the battle glider nor the runner matched the one that had destroyed her family. Was it possible the quantum detonator was a shared weapon? Were the Bujeni lurking near her planet and then became the new suppliers? Did that mean the Syndicate was somehow involved as well?

  Searching through the logs for hours, Tiva refused to eat or sleep until she was certain, but by the time she reached the end of the information, she had no answer. Disappointed, she composed a letter to Harai to keep her abreast of ongoing plans. Tiva reported her progress finding the current Rebel suppliers, and asked her to tell Neola and the others to remain strong. She was close to the truth; she just needed more time.

  After encrypting the message and relaying it to Uucor via the base, Tiva went to the shower room.

  Her dark operation was nearing. She was thankful for the chance to repay the Union after all they had done for her. Too many, it might seem like a minor ordeal to grant asylum to an alien, but the Union and all the people she’d met were her family now. Tiva didn’t want to leave any of them behind when the time came, and if her ideas and plans came to fruition, she wouldn’t have to say goodbye forever.

  The steaming water of the shower relaxed her. Aliri’s crystal was quite an artifact. Not only did she see better as her friend mentioned, she felt stronger, sharper, and clearer. She was wide-awake and energized bringing rapid thoughts to her mind.

  When the orb had appeared, Tiva’s past flashed before her eyes. She saw visions of her mother and siblings running through the corridor, Kevler, her father in every sense but one, kissing her on the forehead then pushing her into the escape module. The king begging her to leave.

  I am the past you are the future.

  Tears welled up in her eyes. Why didn’t Harer tell her the truth? She gained his trust long before the Great War, and looking back, she knew he tried…but why didn’t he? She always knew their connection was stronger, different from just king and protector, she only wished she had understood why.

  The questions kept filling her head, but the faces of those she loved most replayed in her mind. Before she was aware, she was sitting in the shower sobbing. Even the torture Pethor inflicted paled in comparison to the suffering her heart carried.

  A gentle knock on her door tore her from the reverie. Wiping her eyes, Tiva exited the shower, and entered the bedroom to find Adam standing by the window in the adjoining living room. Pulling a towel from the closet, she covered herself and approached. He turned toward her, his eyes studying her face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, tucking the towel in place.

  “Pardon?” she replied, trying to mask her embarrassment.

  “Cala said you were sad…”

  Tiva nodded slightly and brushed away the last of her tears. Adam wrapped his arms and wings around her then kissed her cheek. She held onto him wishing she didn’t have to let go.

  “It was that orb thing, I heard you say it will destroy you…what did you mean?”

  “That was the same weapon that slaughtered my entire family. I…I was immobilized. I was scared and angry…I thought the Tolox was going to be destroyed just like the king’s ship,” Tiva confessed.

  “Well thanks to you and Ri, we’re safe, and so is the base.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is something else wrong, m’lady?”

  “Many things seem wrong, Adam, but I do not wish to burden you. You have already done so much for me…”

  “And I’ll continue to do what I can to help you, Tivava. That’s part of being in a relationship, ya know.”

  Tiva nodded. Aliri and Adam were the only two people whom she felt understood her, and even then, she kept things from both of them. “I am leaving in the morning.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I do not know how long I will be gone. I will miss you, Adam,” she said quietly.

  He moved some of her wet hair from her cheek and smiled down at her. “I know, but I’m here now, and I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Will you stay here tonight?”

  He grinned, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to the bed. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

  Tiva woke in the morning wrapped in Adam’s arms. She was accustomed to being around him—leaving would be difficult.

  Carefully, she stripped his arms from her waist. He mumbled slightly and rolled onto his stomach as she slipped off the bed. His wings fluttered then retracted against his back. She smiled, enjoying the sense of calmness she felt from him.

  He’s more worried then he lets on…you will take heed, right? Cala’s voice filled her head.

  Yes, I will. Tiva picked up a glass and filled it with water. Keep him safe while I am gone.

  Of course, that’s my job, Cala replied solemnly.

  As Tiva lifted the glass to her lips, she noticed steam coming from the water. “That is strange…” She dumped the water, and turned on the faucets, this time checking the temperature before filling her glass.

  Strange? I don’t see anything strange.

  I think there is a malfunction with the sink. Tiva shrugged to herself, sipped the water, and vanished into the lavatory.

  When she walked back into the bedroom, clean and changed into her old guardian outfit, Adam was sitting at the edge of her bed polishing Cala. “Morning, m’lady.”

  “How did you sleep?” she asked, smiling.

  “Not bad…you’ll have to spend the night at my place, my bed is more comfy.” He winked.

  “I would like that.” She blushed. “I have to meet Aries on the flight deck in an hour, are you hungry?”

  “I can always eat,” he said leaping up from the bed and flaring his wings. “Come on, let’s get some grub.”

  To her amazement, the mess hall was crowded. Her security team was at the far end of the room talking with Captain Maar’s cousins. Hino, Emerala, and Raife were chatting with Vinni at the bar, and Aliri and Ewan were having a quiet breakfast in the corner near Tiva’s favorite table. Hemko waved to her, she nodded back and, with Adam, moved to the bar to order.

  Vinni, as chipper as ever, took the order and told them to find a seat. Adam was about to sit in the middle of the room when Aliri called them over.

  “I figured we could have breakfast together since our dinner never happened,” she said.

  “I have limited time, my friend. Aries is expecting me on the flight deck soon.”

  Vinni brought over their food and drink, and then disappeared into the crowd of people once again.

  “That’s right, you’re the one they chose for that secret infiltration,” Ewan added. “Sorry, word
travels fast among the senior crew…trouble with having telepaths on board, I guess.”

  “Yeah, just don’t say anything. She’s the best for the job, but we don’t want the universe to know,” Adam said protectively.

  “I agree, our enemies have never seen your people before, so it’s the perfect situation if you ask me,” Aliri interjected.

  “That is what Captain Maar said. So, I thought it was fitting to wear this,” she motioned down and continued, “since we are not known as space travelers.”

  “Good idea,” Aliri responded. She then lifted a glass and cleared her throat. “To a safe journey and quick return.” The others toasted as well, but when Tiva went to sip her drink, it was once again, hot. She raised her brow and studied the cup. When she looked at Aliri, her friend was already smiling. I told you, side effect. Don’t worry it will pass.

  Meaning?

  You were overheated earlier; it’ll take a while for your body temperature to return to normal. Is your hand still warm?

  Not as much as last night.

  Good, give it a few more days…

  Very well.

  The group talked and laughed as they ate their meal. Aliri spoke of her wedding ideas, and Tiva listened so she knew the customs of the ceremony. Ewan and Adam seemed to make quick friends, talking about fighting, weapons, and sporting games. The hour passed before she realized, and when she excused herself from the table, Adam followed.

  “Do you have your dad’s knife?” he asked as they exited the lift and neared the flight deck.

  “Yes, it is secure in my boot. The tracking device is active, so the Tolox will be able to locate me at any time.”

  “Good, do you have a wrist-comm?”

  “No, I was told not to bring any Union devices in case I was discovered.”

  “Oh, right…well that makes sense.” The door opened to Aries and Maar standing near the Kihlmaro Traker. It was older than those she had seen earlier and this one had a set of double wings on each side of the oval shaped cockpit.

  “Are you ready to go?” Camway Aries smiled and elbowed the captain.

  “Yes, I am prepared.”

  “I will meet you in the craft with some last minute instructions,” Maar interjected before climbing up the ladder.

  Aries held up a satchel. “I’ll leave you to your g-good byes, but here are some medical s-supplies and reading material for your journey.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She nodded and waited for him to leave the room before turning to Adam. “I have to go.”

  “Yeah,” he replied dejectedly, pulling her close. He gazed into her eyes and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Stay on your toes, m’lady, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “I promise, I will,” she said.

  “I love you.”

  “I know you do.”

  He laughed. “You learn quickly, Tiva.”

  She grinned and kissed him softly. “I love you, too.”

  Don’t get into trouble out there. Cala entered her thoughts.

  I will do my best, Tiva replied and reluctantly broke from Adam’s grasp. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but she pressed her finger to his lip and smiled. She squeezed his hand once, turned, and ascended the ladder. Once inside the Traker, she secured her belongings in the open compartment near the hatch, and moved to the front of the craft to meet the captain.

  He was diligently working on the control panel and when she sat beside him, he looked up. “Ready, Chief?”

  “Yes.”

  “You read over the control systems already, but we’ve made some last minute upgrades for you,” he began. “This console here is primary engine information. If you have any problems, this display will alert you. You also have temperature gauges and coolant levels.” Tiva listened and nodded. “These engines are less sophisticated than ours, and they tend to overheat on occasion so keep an eye on it.” Maar continued to brief her on the minor upgrades made by Ewan and the engineers. After a few minutes, he’d gone over all the controls for the ship again. “You have enough food and drink to last you several weeks, though we hope it won’t take that long. We’ve disabled two of the three weapon launchers, you still have one that works. The coordinates to the nearest Triune Syndicate base are already programmed in, and if you use maximum speed, you should reach the outer border in two days.”

  “I understand, Captain.”

  “One last thing…”

  “Yes?”

  “When you leave the Union’s territory you should send out this automated message we’ve prepared. We’re hoping it will attract the Kihlmaro’s or their friends and take you to the base. Good luck, Boon. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Thank you, Captain Maar.”

  Tiva settled in, double-checked all the coordinates and sensor displays, and then glanced out the small window to see Aries, Maar, and Adam looking up at the Traker. It was nice of them to see her off, but seeing Adam standing there made her heart sink. She didn’t want to leave him behind.

  Hitting the switch for the bay doors made the lights in the room slowly dimmed. The three men exited, so she activated the ship’s power and released the holding clamp. The large doors retracted, and with a slight thrust of the engines, the Traker slipped out of the deck and into space.

  Watching the display carefully, she needed to wait for the craft to clear the Tolox completely before engaging warp speed. Several long minutes passed, and when the console indicated she was clear, Adam’s face popped up on her screen. “You’re all set?”

  She smiled back. “Yes, everything seems to be in working order, and I have readied the engines for warp.”

  “See you soon,” he said. “Oh and erase this from the log, m’lady.”

  “Understood,” she replied then the screen went blank. As ordered, she erased the conversation from the log, and put the ship into warp. Her heading was set, Aliri and Emerala had already fixed the fake flight pattern into the log, now all she had to do was watch the sensors and navigation controls for anomalies and wait to arrive.

  The Kihlmaro Traker was not built for comfort or long-term travel. Both seats in the cockpit were durable and made of metal. A pull down cot without a mat, and a tiny lavatory made up the rest of the vessel.

  After she put the ship on auto controls, she searched all the compartments to familiarize herself with its inventory. She knew that the flight path her friends had programmed into the computer would take six days, and she should know the ins and outs of the vessel completely if the enemy was to believe she’d been on board the entire time. Once satisfied, she checked the console, made a minor adjustment to the flight path, verified the weapons status, and rested on the cot. If she became too tired, she would find a moon, or an asteroid belt as cover. Regardless of the sensors alerting her to trouble, she wouldn’t risk sleeping for any length of time while traversing space alone.

  Lying back, Tiva retrieved her Yantar and flipped through the pages. Ages seemed to have passed since last she had read her book. Laughing slightly as she skimmed the words of the courting ritual, she paused upon reaching the passages for the Bonding Rite. She had seen many couples wed back home. Most times, she was there in an official capacity, but the one ceremony that always stayed with her was Neola and Jex’s. They had exchanged vows in the Great Hall; hundreds if not a thousand people were present. It was a joyous gathering. She wondered how many Bonding Rites had taken place in secret or in smaller ministry houses since the palace hall had been under the control of the Rebels.

  The more she thought about it, the more it irritated her. Grunting, she closed the book and put it away. Her finger touched the edge of her family’s painting, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at it. Having her life change completely once then twice was enough to make anyone angry, but not only did her life change, her purpose for living had changed as well. A lifetime of servitude as an elite guardian was her calling, her fate. Each time she put her life on the line for king or country, it was the
right choice. Whether the spirits were on her side and showed her the path or her inner consciousness, she never once wanted to sway from her guardian destiny. Now, a new path was set before her and for the first time in her life, she feared making the wrong decisions.

  Tiva shook off the thought and pulled her dagger out of her boot. The sturdy weapon shone like new. She saw her markings in the blade. Standing, she stretched a bit before training with the weapon. The feel was so familiar despite being over two years since she had held her father’s dagger. She was lucky to have found it. Striking phantom enemies and objects for an hour kept her focused. After a quick meal, she washed up and moved back to the cockpit to check her status.

  Six hours passed. Not one single planet, nebula, shooting star, or asteroid belt was in range. All the gauges and sensors were normal, but she sat in the flight seat for another two hours to try to pass some time.

  Already missing her friends and the Tolox, she realized she’d be having dinner or walking around the arboretum if she were there. Provided, of course, they were not in the middle of a battle. A chill ran up her spine thinking about the crew fighting without her there to help. For a moment, she felt absolutely powerless.

  Tiva pulled her Timbur from her belt and decided to give it a good clean. Sitting on the cot once more, she detached all the claws, and wiped them down one by one. When she was through with the prongs, she cleaned the handle and grip. Once it was back in one piece, Tiva set it on the floor and took out her dagger. With a tight grip on the cross-guard, she began twisting. The stubborn weapon wasn’t cooperating. She finally forced the cross-guard off, and the palm size hilt slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

  When she picked it up, she saw part of a chain hanging out from the open end. She pulled on the chain to reveal a silver necklace with a purple half-moon gemstone.